Oct 08, 2014 02:41 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

New Jersey residents will have the opportunity to earn accredited high school diplomas and credentialed career certificates through six public libraries.

Career Online High School, an initiative brought to libraries by Gale, the publisher owned by Cengage, and arranged locally through the New Jersey State Library (NJSL), was designed to reengage adults into the education system and prepare them for entry into post-secondary career education or the workforce. Residents will be able to earn a high school diploma completely online and gain valuable career skills.

Currently, there are nearly 700,000 adults in New Jersey aged 25 and older who lack a high school diploma or equivalent.

"This innovative project is the latest step in the transformation of public libraries in the digital age into full-fledged community resources," said Mary Chute, New Jersey State Librarian. "New Jersey's libraries are committed to supporting the development of a well-educated and well-trained workforce, which will enable New Jersey's employers to compete in the global market."

The libraries will award scholarships for Career Online High School to qualified learners. Once enrolled, Career Online High School pairs each student with an Academic Coach, who offers ongoing guidance and encouragement, evaluates performance, and connects the learner with the resources needed to demonstrate mastery of the course material.

Classes are supported by board-certified instructors and students have 24/7 access to the online learning platform.

"Libraries are evolving beyond books into true educational institutions and Gale is delighted to be the partner to make that happen," Frank Menchaca, senior vice president for global product management at Gale, said in a statement. "This is the first statewide implementation of Career Online High School and we can't wait to see the impact it will have on communities and the students themselves."

New Jersey residents interested in the Career Online High School program should visit www.njstatelib.org/yourdiploma. 

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